CACTC carpentry seniors hold public auction for custom playhouses

On Saturday, May 11, the Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center held its annual “Touch-A-Truck and Classic Car and Bike Show.” This year’s event was extra special as senior carpentry students auctioned off playhouses they created over the course of the 18-19 school year.

The students were divided into three construction teams, and they were given the freedom to design their playhouses from scratch. They drew the plans, estimated the material cost, and completed all phases of construction. Carpentry instructor Jerry Matthews developed the hands-on project because it gave students the opportunity to go through the entire construction process from start to finish and learn how to work together as a team. Funding to build the playhouses came from a loan from the carpentry club account, and the starting auction price for each playhouse was determined by the material cost to put back into the account. Anything raised above that amount was split between the students based on the percentage of time each student worked on their given playhouse. Students were then given the opportunity to use their profits to purchase carpentry tools they could use in their respective careers. The project and auction were so successful that rising seniors have already begun the design phase for their playhouses that will be completed during the 19-20 school year.